Top of page

Information for families of Early Decision students

by Betsy Chapman

The following message was sent to Early Decision I and II families with incoming Class of ’26 students

Bottom Line Up Front:

  • The Early Decision website is live. The newstudents.wfu.edu website for the Class of 2026 will launch May 2nd and will include important information and action items for students and families. (Note that the New Students website is being updated as we speak, so the information and dates currently on the website are for last year’s Class of 2025.)
  • We encourage you to familiarize yourself with resources such as parents.wfu.edu, the incoming families website, the Daily Deac blog, and the Office of Family Engagement.
  • Important dates for the fall are included in this message; we always encourage families to be flexible when making plans, in case dates change.
  • International families, please consult the information about international student arrivals.

Dear Parents and Families,

We are so thrilled that your students will be joining us as members of the Class of 2026! Please allow us to introduce ourselves: we are Dr. Cherise James, Associate Director of Orientation and Lower Division Programming, and Dr. Betsy Chapman (‘92, MA ‘94), Executive Director of Family Communications. As a member of the Office of Academic Advising, Dr. James will be in touch with your students throughout the spring and summer. And in her role with family communications, Dr. Chapman will be sharing messages for parents and families from this point until your students graduate.

While the majority of the Office of Academic Advising newsletters will be sent directly to your students via their WFU email address, we wanted to send a co-authored email to all Early Decision families to bring a few items to your attention as you prepare for your students to join us in August.

Early Decision website and New Students website

We are excited to share our newly-created Early Decision website to keep you informed prior to the May 2nd launch of our official Class of 2026 New Students website. You should note that the New Students website is being updated as we speak, so the information and dates currently on the website are for last year’s Class of 2025. Some members of our incoming class have found it helpful to get a sense of what their summer might look like as they graduate from high school and prepare for their entry into the Wake Forest community! But please be aware that dates currently on that site are from last summer.

Resources for you and your students

Wake Forest has many resources to help you during your student’s matriculation:

There is a comprehensive Parents and Families website, and the Daily Deac blog shares important news, offers advice about supporting your students, and covers a variety of WFU activities and events to help you get a sense of campus life. You can subscribe to the Daily Deac and have it sent to your inbox each weekday via the Subscribe box on the Daily Deac website.

On May 2nd, you and your student will be able to access the updated New Students website, which contains Wake Forest’s new student guide: Forestry 101. From May through August, your students will be receiving email communications from Dr. James about things they need to do over the summer to be ready to start classes in the fall. Please encourage your student to get in the habit of checking their WFU email regularly.

For parents and families on May 2nd, there will be an updated Parents and Families section of the New Students website; this will be your resource for due dates, deadlines, advice, and other vital information. Included on that website will be a calendar for the summer so you can keep track of important tasks for you and your student.

In addition, all messages sent to your students May 2nd and beyond will be posted on the Parents & Families section of the New Students website. While the goal is for your student to be on top of deadlines, we want to make sure that you also have access to the information they receive.

The Office of Family Engagement is another terrific resource. They provide information and support to Wake Forest parents, guardians, grandparents, and family members. The Office of Family Engagement also plans summer New Student Receptions for incoming first-year students and families, runs the Parents’ Campaign of the Wake Forest Fund, works with our Parents’ Council, and serves as a resource for all families during their time at Wake Forest.

Move-In Information:

We also want to share some important tentative dates with you. Move-In Day for new and transfer students will be Wednesday, August 17th (unless they are an enrolled participant in an approved University program such as Pre-Orientation that requires an earlier move-in date). Students participating in optional Pre-Orientation programs, athletics, or other approved groups will receive move-in instructions, including their move-in date, directly from the Office of Residence Life and Housing.

Important August 2022 Dates:

    • Pre-Orientation Programs. Wake Forest offers a variety of outstanding Pre-Orientation programs to our incoming students. These experiences are intended to provide small group interactions and will allow your student to connect with other new Deacs prior to the start of Orientation. We encourage you to delay finalizing your travel plans until your student has the opportunity to consider Pre-Orientation experiences and have final communication from Residence Life and Housing about their approved move-in date. Information about all these Pre-Orientation experiences will be communicated to your student via their WFU email address in the next 2 weeks.
  • Orientation for New and Transfer Students. Orientation for new and transfer students is mandatory. The mandatory information portion of Orientation for all incoming students will be completed online and will be made available to them prior to their arrival on campus. There will also be in-person events preceding the first day of classes.
  • Move-In for new and transfer students will be Wednesday, August 17th.
  • August 17-18: Orientation for Parents and Families. We will have some in-person Orientation activities for parents and families on the evening of Wednesday, August 17th through the evening of Thursday, August 18th, assuming public health guidance will allow. Our current thinking is that families should plan to depart late Thursday night or Friday morning, as students will be involved in their own Orientation programming. While parent and family Orientation sessions are not mandatory, we strongly encourage attendance! Information about all these sessions will be available later this summer.
  • August 22: Fall classes will begin.
  • Family Weekend 2022. Family Weekend is planned and facilitated by the Office of the Dean of Students. The date for Family Weekend 2022 is October 7-9. The weekend is scheduled in conjunction with a football game; more information about Family Weekend will be available in late spring at https://familyweekend.wfu.edu/.

Important reminder about the calendar – Use a pencil, not a pen.

If we’ve learned anything during the pandemic, it’s been the importance of flexibility amid changing circumstances. Dates in emails and on websites are accurate at the time of publication, but the University will adapt to any changing conditions as needed. It’s important that you consult the New Students website regularly when it launches in May 2022 for the most updated information.

Important Message for our International Students:

  • Center for Immigration Services & Support (ISS) is the office that supports the Wake Forest international student, faculty, and staff community. ISS provides immigration advice and support before and after arrival to the U.S. and assists our international population with navigating life at Wake Forest and in the U.S. The ISS team will communicate directly with new international students regarding new international student arrival and orientation. International students should check their WFU email later this spring and summer for our “Journey to Wake Forest” email series. International students should reach out to ISS (iss@wfu.edu) regarding any questions, and please continue to monitor their ISSDeacs account for updates. The ISS team looks forward to welcoming our new class of Demon Deacons to campus.

This is an exciting time for students and families alike, and we look forward to getting to know you better during your student’s time at Wake Forest. If you have questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact our offices.

With best wishes,

Cherise James, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Orientation and Lower Division Programming

Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (‘92, MA ‘94)
Executive Director of Family Communications

Contact

To contact the Office of Family Engagement or Family Communications, please visit our contact page.

 

For mental health assistance: 336-758-CARE (2273) is a service that ensures someone will always be available (i.e., 24/7 M-F, weekends and university holidays) to provide caring and thoughtful consultation services for Wake Forest students in need of mental health assistance or support. You can also visit we.wfu.edu for resources.